Structural element



Sept. 30, 1941. A. M. HULL STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Filed Jan. l2, 1959 0i lill/Illia @I lv INVENTOR. 9721 Wall Willa ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Alva M. Hull, Detroit, `Mich., `assignor of oneffth to Francis D. Hardesty, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,620

3 Claims.

This invention relates to structural elements, particularly adapted to be used in buildings and thelike.

An object of this invention is a structural element including a plurality of channels, angles, or `other members disposed with their Webs in juxtaposed relation, one or more of the webs having tongues bent,` curled, or otherwise deformed therefrom to form holding means for the members and for fasteners adapted to be driven into the space between the webs.

`A further object is a structural element having a plurality of apertures in the webs thereof through whichelectric conduits or the like may bepassed, the edges of one or more of the apertures being bent, curled, or otherwise deformed fromthe sheet of the webs to form nail holding means.

Still further objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in Which- Figure 1 is a view of a member as if in the direction of the arrow I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a section as if on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view like that of Figure 1 of a second one of the members and is taken on the arrow 3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the element showing it in use and is like a view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a view of a modified form of element in use.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section view as if on the line I--1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section view showing a further modified form.

Referring to the drawing:

It will be seen that the preferred embodiment of the structural element includes two channel like members, one of which A is shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the other of which (BI) is shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The member A of Figures 1 and 2 includes a web IIJ having a plurality of elongated apertures I2 spaced longitudinally along the web. The edges of the apertures are bent, curled, or otherewise deformed as at I4 and I6 to form tongues for purposes to be described, the edges I4 being bent away from theanges I8 of the channel, and the edges I6 being bent towards the anges I8. Further, spaced longitudinally along the member are raised blisters or dimples 20 projecting from the sheet of the web away from the anges I8, also for purposes hereinafter specified.

'I'he member B of Figures 3 and 4 has a web 38 provided with apertures 32 adapted to be aligned with the apertures I2 on the member Figures 1 and 2. The edges of the apertures 32 are bent or curledas at 34 and 36 to form tongues, the edges 34 being curled towards the flanges 38 and the edges 36 being bent away from the flanges 38. Further, spaced longitudinally along the member are raised blisters or dimples 40 projecting from the sheet of the web away from the anges I8, for purposes to be specied.

When the two members are combined to form a structural element they are disposed in back to back or juxtaposed relationso that the bent edges or tongues 34 and 35 will overlap the bent edges or tongues I4 and I6, this construction being best shown in Figure 5. The dimples or blisters 20 and 40, spaced as indicated, serve to space the webs from each other, providing a narrow space between them as Well as between the bent or curled edges of the apertures.

When the element is to be used in a building structure, as for instance, in conjunction with a nail penetratable member such as sheathing wall board or the like and/or metal plates 52, these may be secured to the element by nails 34 driven through the support 30 and plates 52 and into the space between the juxtaposed edges or tongues I4-34 and I8--36. The pointed ends of the nails will curl and conform with the edges I4-34, and Iii-36, and will interlock with the Webs, as can be readily` seen.

In the construction of Figures 1-5, the apertures I2 and 32 are more or less elliptical and the ends of the edges or tonges I4 and 34 come very close to those at I6 and 36. This construction, while a bit more expensive to form, is more satisfactory than the construction of Figure 6, wherein the apertures 62 are rectangular, the ends of the edges or tongues 64 and 66, being spaced from one another. In other respects, the form of Figure 6 is like that of Figures 1-5.

From Figure 6 it Will be seen 'that the blisters 20 and 4.0 are so spaced along the members that a blister 20 will not engage any of the blisters 40, and vice versa. This feature is also disclosed by the diagrammatic representations of blisters 40 on Figure l, and 20 on Figure 3, and in Figure 7, which shows a blister 40 on member B engaging the web of the member A and a blister 20 on the member A engaging the web of member B.

` juxtaposed disposition. The webs are apertured as at 84 and 86, and the edge 85 of the aperture 84 is curled or bent around the unbent or uncurled edge 8l of the aperture- 86. lA nail 88, driven through the nail penetratable member 90, is curled at its free end, by the curled edge 85 so as to hook around the edger81, the construcn tion thus shown being less eicient but Similar to that of the other gures.

Further, while Figures 1ct-7V show an' I-,beamv made up of channels, it will be ,understood that the inventive ideas Ashown may be used, on T- beams or rafters, made upv of" angles, without diiiculty. i fr While in the gures the edgesor tongues which secure the vnails in place 'aredisclosed as being the edges of large apertures I2, 3-2 and v62, it will beunderstood that small tongues cut from '.the webs and curled or' bent outwardly, may be used with a similar result.l It will be understood Ythat the terms tongues andV edges as used in the clairnsare interchangeable and that largeaperturesgi-Z and 32 are shown only `for the purpose of disclosing Vthe'iac-t thatA these apertures proe vide spa-ces through which electric' conduits or thelike may be passed `through thejweb's.

-Now having descrfloed'the invention andv the preferred embodimentthereof, it is to befunder-'f stood that the said invention is to be limited, not to the specific details herein set forth,A but only by the scope of the Yclaims which follow.`

YWhat I claim is:

l. A structural 'element comprising a plurality of members disposed inl web-juxtaposed relation, the Web ofv one of said members 4hav-ing a tongue cut and deformed therefrom, the web of theother of said members also having a tongue deformed therefrom and projecting through the aperture in the other web left by the cutting of the tongue in the latter, and curved around and in juxtaposition With but spaced from the last mentioned tongue, all of the tongues being unsevered from the webs at their ends, the marginal lines of the bent tongues being curved.

2. A structural element comprising a plurality ofv members disposed in Web-juxtaposed relation, the web of one of said members having tongues cut and deformed therefrom, the web of the other of said members also having tongues deformed therefrom `and projecting through the apertures in the other web left by the cutting of the tongues in the latter, and curved around and in juxtaposition With but spaced from the last mentioned tongues, all of the tongues being unsevered from the webs at their ends, the marginal lines of the bent tongues being curved. Y

- 31A-structural element comprising a plurality of Vwide web members disposed in web juxtaposed relation, the web of one of said members having tongues cut and deformed therefrom, the web of the 4other of said membersV also having tongues deformed therefrom and projecting throughthe apertures in the other web left by the cutting of the tongues in the latter, and deformed around and` in juxtaposition with the last mentioned tongues, the webs and the tongues `being spaced from each other -a relatively7 small distance Where the tongues are formed, substantially equal to the diameter of nails driven into', but not through, the element, the web widths being considerably greater thanV the shank lengths of the nails, and `being secured to each other at points between the tongues by means which relatively space the webs, all of the tongues being unseveredv from the webs at their ends,V the marginal lines of the bent tongues beingcurved.

- Y ALVA M. HULL. 

